No Alcohol Deaths During July 4th Holiday

Local law enforcement officers are patting each other on the back. During the Independence Day weekend there were no alcohol related traffic deaths.

"I think it's real good news. The Independence Day weekend usually involves a lot of drinking and a lot of traveling, and the fact that we can say that nobody died in impaired driving crashes is pretty substantial," said Leon County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Dawson.

The DUI strike force is attributing its success to saturation patrols and DUI checkpoints. Of the 739 drivers stopped, 17 went to jail for drinking and driving.

"We believe that each drunk driver stopped and removed from the street is one life potentially saved," DUI Strike Force Vice Chair Lynn Pruitt said.

Although there are no deaths to report, there is still work to be done, especially with so many college students that'll soon be heading back for the fall semester.

"The slogan ‘friends don't let friends drive drunk’ is just as important today as it was 10 years ago. If you see someone who's had too much to drink you need to give them a ride home or call a cab," Roger Doherty from the Florida Department of Transportation said.

The DUI task force made of five local law enforcement agencies is now in its third year, and each year the number of DUI arrests has increased, meaning it’s continually getting the job done of getting drunk drivers off the roads.

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